Wednesday, 8 April 2015

Get a Hobby

I recently had a bit of a lightbulb moment when I realised I had no hobbies. Other than blogging, I mostly spend my spare time seeing friends, looking after the house, shopping, eating, playing games and general 'chillaxing' activities. But actually creating things? Doing something worthwhile to the point where I'd actually remember what it was a few days later? Not so much.

I may have ovedone it a bit by going from no hobbies to all of the hobbies (and according to my friend Rosie also aged 20-30 years in my choices! I pointed out she is bake-off standard at macaron making and sews all of her own clothes so she couldn't really talk!) but I pretty much looked around and went for the least life invasive options, so I would have some hope keeping them up.

My friend Emma started a bookclub, so before I had time to change my mind I said yes and borrowed the first book from the library - The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of a Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. By reading it on the train to work I have nearly finished it in a week, and used my commute for something more worthwhile than another game of Spider Solitare (my greatest weakness). I am really enjoying it - definitely a light read (the last book I read was Wolf Hall, so a bit of a change!) but fun and cleverly plotted. Hopefully the book group will keep me motivated to read, and to read things I might not have picked up otherwise.

Probably the thing I am most proud of is learning to crochet. I am very uncreative, and knitting or any sort of craft is usually beyond me. But one of my colleagues Jo offered to teach me, and despite nearly giving up a couple of times I made it to the end of one granny square. The squares are going to be sewn together by Jo into a baby blanket for one of our other colleagues who is pregnant. I definitely want to try a project of my own now, something simple like maybe a blanket or a hat or cushion or something.

Finally I am trying to cook a bit more, after the success of my chocolate brownies. I am on leave this week so I am planning on whipping up some freezer meals - some soup maybe?

I'd love to know what you consider your hobbies, other than blogging? In just a few weeks I feel like having a few activities has really enriched my life, and I am up for more!

6 comments:

Hobbies are the best :) I used to really like baking but I'd end up eating most of them myself! I love crochet and knitting (they're particularly great because they're portable) but I also make time for sewing, printing and drawing. I love going to my book group too - social and book related ;) that's great that you've found some hobbies and if you've mastered crochet, you'd definitely be able to knit! X

I feel like I'm struggling a little with this at the moment - I do have my hobbies (reading & cooking especially) but they are by the their nature very solitary. I really must join a book club though, it would give me bit of an excuse to read more than 99p kindle bargains - so I just need to hunt one out near me in East London!

Glad you enjoyed The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of a Window and Disappeared , I thought it had a few fun twists over anything else I read recently!

Cack handed and not creative, but I do love crochet now I've gotten to grips with it, I made slippers for Christmas gifts this year and am working on granny sqare-esque hexagons for a blanket for the new place. I've also started scrapbooking using the Project life stuff, but to collate lots of the old pictures and tickets and postcards etc etc I have hanging about and didn't know what to do with. It's been awesome to see that some of these craft things don't have to be as twee as they might have been 10 years ago!

I guess exercise is my biggest hobby – I love going to pilates classes and running club. I also love to cross stitch (modern designs, usually inspired by Subversive Cross Stitch, which is a great site if you're interested in taking it up), which is fun but can take a long time. I tried knitting and crochet a few years ago but sucked at both – perhaps it's time to give it another try :)

I think I have too many hobbies! I've got knitting, cross stitch, studying (ploughing through an MSc), blogging, baking, gardening, reading, swimming, pilates, sewing, exhibiting our vintage lorry at steam rallies, taking part in Somerset's Carnival season, photography, running a photo website, and I'm sure there's some others I've forgotten. I do enjoy them all but there is the odd occasion where I think having less would be better! :-) xx